1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to physical fitness devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable, self-contained, electronic physical fitness device.
2. State of the Art
The home fitness device market is rapidly growing. Each year, recreational athletes purchase billions of dollars worth of physical fitness devices. The most popular types of devices have included treadmills, stationary bikes, and alpine skiers. However, these devices have several shortcomings. First, high quality devices are very expensive. Second, the devices are typically large in size. These bulky, space consuming devices cannot easily be stowed. Furthermore, the large size of the devices prevents them from being easily portable. Third, the devices tend to cause boredom, as they have limited uses. For example, treadmills are typically only used for walking or jogging at a repetitive pace. Likewise, stationary bikes and alpine skiers typically do not provide a variety of activities. The result is tedious exercise. Therefore, in short term, these devices fall into disuse. Moreover, not one of the most popular devices is able to provide combined improvement of foot speed, agility, and reaction time, the skills practiced and tested in professional and collegiate athletic sports training programs.
Based upon the perceived need for a device for improving and testing speed and agility, a fitness device called Quickfeet.TM. was developed and sold by the applicant of the current application. Referring to prior art FIGS. 17 and 18, the Quickfeet.TM. fitness device 1000 includes a plywood or pressboard base 1012 and a flexible polycarbonate sheet 1014 situated over and substantially parallel with the base. The upper surface of the base 1012 is coated with an electrostatic paint 1016 at preselected locations. The upper surface of the polycarbonate sheet 1014 includes indicia 1015 corresponding to `stepping` locations, while the lower surface of the polycarbonate sheet 1014 includes an electrostatic painted surface 1018 beneath each stepping location. Foam rubber 1020 is interposed between the base 1012 and the polycarbonate sheet 1014 to form an inner frame which underlies the pattern formed by the `stepping` locations 1015. An outer frame 1024 holds the base 1012 and polycarbonate sheet 1014 in a `floating` relation to each other about the inner frame 1020. The electrostatic paint surfaces 1016 and 1018 are coupled to an out-board controller board 1026, which in turn is coupled to an out-board power source 1028.
When a user of the Quickfeet.TM. fitness device 1000 steps on the upper surface of the polycarbonate sheet 1014, the foot of the user on the sheet 1014 compresses foam rubber lengths 1020 of the inner frame adjacent the foot of the user, causing the sheet 1014 to mechanically move relative to the base 1012, and further flexes the sheet 1014. The combination of the movement and flex allows the electrostatic surface 1018 on the lower surface of the sheet 1014 to contact the electrostatic paint surface 1016 on the top surface of the base 1012, and send a switch signal to the controller board 1026 which maintains a count of all switch signals; i.e., the number of steps a user makes on the Quickfeet.TM. device 1000. The user can try to perform complex patterns of steps, stepping on particular `stepping` locations 1015 in a particular order in a timed fashion. Thereby, the user increases his or her speed and agility.
While the Quickfeet.TM. fitness device solves some of the problems of the art, it is difficult and expensive to manufacture. In addition, the mechanical movement of the polycarbonate sheet under the weight of the user could be uncomfortable, or even disconcerting, to a user. Furthermore, while the device is not extremely large, neither is it easily portable, as the device includes three separate components: the main unit including the base and polycarbonate sheet, the controller, and the power source. Moreover, the device does not provide the optimum performance and variety of activities and feedback offered by the present invention.